Gathering apparatus.



R. E.-NOBLE. GATHERING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2. I914.

Patented Oct. 31, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l- R. E. NOBLE. GATHERING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILEDMn. 2, 1914.

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R. E. NOBLE.

GATHERING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2. 19M. Patented Oct. 31,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

1 2 71 asses.-

UNITED I STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RALPH E. NOBLE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO MORGAN-GARDNERELECTRIC COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GATHERING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 31, 1916.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, RALPH E. NOBLE, a citizenof the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook andState of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inGathering Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to an apparatus for moving coalcars into and out of rooms, placing such cars in position for loading,or drawing them out onto a main track to be gathered by the locomotive.While it is primarily designed for such use, yet it may be used forother purposes in and about the mines or other industrial plants.

Among the objects of my invention are to provide a light gathering orhauling apparatus which may be readily moved from place to place in themines, either by hand or by its own power; to provide a novel means formoving coal cars or the like onto and from switch tracks; and in generalto provide an improved structure which will be fully describedhereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention: Figure 1 is aplan view of a truck provided with my improved hauling or pullingdevices ,Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, parts being broken awayto illustrate the interior mechanism; Fig. 3 is a detail of the drivinggearing for one of the winding drums; Fig. 4 isa detail of a movablerope guide; Figs. 5 and 6 are details of a clamping device for clampingthe truck to the track; and, Figs. 7 and 8 are diagrammatical viewsindicating the method of operation of the device in a coal mine.

My improved gathering or haulage apparatus comprises a truck 9 withwheels 10,-

adapted to run on the track 11, in the usual manner. A frame 12 ismounted on the truck and carries a motor 13. The motor shaft 14 isprovided with a pinion 15 which meshes with a gear 16 having its hub 17mounted in suitable bearings in the frame. The upper end of the hub 17carries a pinion 18 which meshes with an internal gear 19. The gear 19fits freely within the lower enlarged end 20. of a winding drum 21,which drum is used for winding up a drawing cable 22. A clutch or dog 23is provided for throwing the gear 19 into and out of engagement with thelowerend 20 of the drum, as

indicated in Fig. 8. A circular handle 24 is provided for throwing thedog into and out out of engagement. A plurality of holes 25 are providedin the frame or casing 12 to permit the outlet of the cable :22 in anydesired direction from the drum 21. A guide sheave 26 and guide roller27 are provided at one end of the truck for guiding the cable 22 when itis to be carried out at such end thereof, and a similar sheave 28 androller 29 is provided for guiding the cable when it is carried out atthe opposite end of the truck.

The lower end of the hub 17 is provided with a sheave 30 which isengaged by driving rope or belt 31 which passes around a sheave 32, atthe lower end of a winding drum 33, which drum is used for winding upthe electric cable 34 which supplies current to the motor 13. Thedriving belt 31 is made suliiciently loose so that the sheave 30 may runwithout driving the belt, a tightener being provided for driving thebelt when desired. This tightener comprises a sheave 35 which is mountedon an arm 36 at the lower end of a vertical shaft 37, which shaft isprovided with suitable bearings. A handle 38 is pivoted to the upper endof the shaft 37 so that the handle may be swung vertically, and thishandle is provided with a tooth 39 which engages with a rack 40 forholding the handle in adjusted position. By means of this handle thesheave 35 may be swung into and out of engagement with the driving belt31, so that the drum 33 may be driven or will remain stationary asdesired. Any suitable means (not shown) may be used for connecting theinner end of the cable 34 with the motor so that the current will becarried to the motor. The cable 34 is carried between guide rollers 41,42 and 43, which are mounted in a bracket 44, this bracket beingprovided with a downwardly extending curved pin 45, and a straight pin-46 for engagement with suitable holes 47 and 48 in the bed of the truck9. By inserting the curved pin into its hole first and then insertingthe pin 46, the bracket 44 is practically locked in position, but may beeasily removed when desired, as will be easily seen from Fig. 4. Anotherset of holes 49 and 50 are provided at one end of the truck so that thisbracket with its guiding rollers may be moved around to'the end andsecured in position without removing the cable 34 therefrom. Guiderollers 51 and 52 are provided at the opposite end of the truck forguiding the cable 34 when it is carried out at that end, as indicated inFig. 1.

A removable seat 53 is provided at one end of the machine for theoperator and sockets 5% are provided inthe ends of this seat, or at anyother desired place on the truck for receiving jacks 55, as indicated inFig. 2, such jacks being used at times for holding the truck down whenit is pulling a heavy load.

The ends of the truck are provided with couplers 56 of any desired formso that the truck may be coupled directly to the cars if desired.

A controller 57 is provided for controlling the current to the motor,such controller being connected in any ordinary manner.

When this gathering apparatus or haulage apparatus is pulling a car upgrade, or perhaps under other circumstances, it may be desirable to lockor. fasten the truck to the track rails in order to hold the truck'inposition. In order to do this I provide a hook 58 which is adapted tohook under the track rail, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The

upper end of this hook is pivoted to a lever 59, which lever is pivotedat 60 to suitable brackets 61 on the body of the truck. A support 62 isprovided for holding the outer end of the hook when it is not in use.The upper end of the hook 58 and the short arm of the lever 59 arearranged to'form a substantially locking toggle, as will be readilyapparent from Fig.5. When the outer end of the lever 59 is swungdownwardly, it draws up the hook 58 until it engages with the trackrail, and then the upper end of the lever passes beyond the fulcrum soas to lock the hook in engaging position. When the outer end of thelever 59 is raised, the hook 58 moves downwardly until it may bedisengaged from the rail, then by again pressing down the lever '59, theouter end of the hook may pass up into position to engage with thesupport 62 where it is locked in position by again raising the lever 59.

One of the particularly unique features of my invention is the provisionof an electric supply cable which is suiiiciently strong so that it maybe used as a haulage cable for moving the truck, although not intendedfor pulling heavy loads. This may be done in any desired manner, as byincorporating'a steel cable with the electric supply cable, which isusually made of copper wire orthe like. On account of being able to usethe electric cable for pullingthe truck, it will be readily seen that myimproved apparatus may be used in a large number of ways.

When

the electric cable is to be used for pulling, it is provided with a'connection 63, such as a hook or the like, for fastening it to the trackrail, and another connection 64 for connecting with the trolley wire 65,as shown 'in Fig. 7. This figure shows a ber of ways for utilizing myimproved apparatus. in the room 66, the apparatus is shown pushing a car67 back onto the room track 68. a In this instance the haulage cable orsteel cable 22 is secured to an anchor 69, and the drum 214s beingdriven so as to wind up this cable and pull the truck 9 into the room,thereby pushing the car 67 along in front thereof, while theelectric-cable 34 is being payed out at the opposite end of the truck.When the c'a'ris pushed to the end of the track, as indicated in room70, the cable is substantially wound up, and is then disconnected'fromthe anchor 69', and the operator then tightens the. belt 31 andcauses the drum 33;to be driven,'thereby winding up the cable '34. andtruck out of the room track.

In the method of operation indicated in room 71, the truck 9 ispositioned on the main track and may be'looked by meansoi' the lockinghook 558', if necessary. A cable 7 2 is attached atone end to the car 73 and is then assed around a pulley 74- whieh is secured .to an anchor75, and its'opposite end is secured to the end of the cable 22. Thenbydra'wing in on the cable 22, the car 7 3 will be pulled back into theroom and the and back to the main cable 22 is then unhooked from thecable 7 2,

which may be left in position for use in such room. Whenthe' car 73 hasbeen filled,

it may be pulled out from the room by placing the truck 9 in advance ofthe switch and.

running the cabl 22 around the guide sheave 76, as indicatedin'connection 'withroom 77.

pulling the As the car is pulled out, it pulls the cable 7 72 back toits original position which is then disconnected'from the car and may beleft lying in'position readyfor ulling thenext car into the room.

Fig. 8 illustrates the operat'ion of the de i vice where ithasbeenus'e'd, asindicate'd in 7 connection with room 7 7, for pullinganumber' of cars out' onto" the main line ready to be gathered up by thelocomotive operating on the main track. 7

It willbe readily seen that my improved truck or gathering apparatusmaybe readily pushed along the track where the conditions are favorable, ormay be pulled by either of its cables, by=having the operato pull thecabl'eahea'd and'fasten it'to the track and.

thenwinding upon the corresponding drum.

From this description it will be readily seen that my improved apparatusis adapted to perform a large service in connection with miningoperations or like operations, and is adapted to be used in therefore,

a varietyof ways and, I donut wish' t'o-limit myselfto' the exactconstruction or method of use herein shown and described, except asspecified in the following claims, in which I claim:

1. In a gathering device, the combination of a truck, a reel on saidtruck, a haulage cable connected with said reel and adapted to be drawnout and used for pulling the truck or pulling cars toward the truck, amotor for driving said reel, a second reel mounted on the truck, meansfor driving the second reel from the motor, and a combined haulage andelectric cable connected with said second named reel, said last namedcable serving to carry current to said motor and also serving at timesto pull the car when the second named reel is driven.

2. In an apparatus of the character set forth, the combination of atruck, a reel mounted on said truck, a motor, means for throwing thereel into and out of operative relation with the motor, a steel haulagecable co-acting with said reel, a second reel mounted on the truck,means for throwing said second reel into and out of operative relationwith the motor, and a combined electric supply and haulage cableco-acting with said second named reel, said last named cable serving tocarry current to the motor and also serving at times for pulling thetruck.

3. In an apparatus of the character set forth, the combination of awheeled truck,

means for locking said truck to the track rails, a winding drum mountedon said truck, a motor for turning said drum, means for throwing saiddrum' into and out of' carrying cable co-acting with said second nameddrum, said last named cable also serving as a pulling cable, and guideson the truck for said last named cable.

4. A gathering apparatus for mines comprising a wheeled truck, a motoron said truck, a winding drum, gearing between the motor and drum forturning the drum, a clutch for throwing the drum into and out ofengagement, a sheave, means for driving said sheave from the motor, asecond sheave, a belt passing around said sheaves, a manually controlledtightener for said belt, whereby the belt may be caused to drive thesecond named sheave, or will permit it to remain stationary, a windingdrum connected with said second named sheave and adapted to be driventhereby, an electric supply cable co-acting with said last named drumfor carrying current to the motor, a steel haulv age cable connectedwith said first named drum, and guides on said trucks for said cables.

RALPH E. NOBLE. Witnesses:

IRENE FORREST, CHARLES O. Gusmvsnn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents; Washington, D. C.

